Canada uranium update
Published by MAC on 2007-07-27
Canada uranium update
27th July 2007
Residents of the Canadian province of New Brunswick continue to express outrage in community meetings, and on the pages of local newspapers, over prospecting - mainly for uranium - on their lands. The provincial Minister of Natural Resources has been quick to defend the interests of mining and downplay the concerns of citizens.
An Aboriginal community in another Canadian province is facing a lawsuit by uranium mining company, Frontenac Ventures Corporation. On July 24 2007 Frontenac filed a $100-million lawsuit against local Algonquin First Nations. It is also seeking an injunction to remove a protesters' blockade from the entrance of the proposed mining location, north of Sharbot Lake in Ontario.
Cameco, the world's biggest uranium mining company, has once again come under strong criticism for its failure to check contamination - this time in soil at its nuclear fuel ("hex") plant in Ontario.
Legal battle begins; fFirm files $100M suit over mine blockade
Lisa Jemison - http://www.thewhig.com
Local News
25th July 2007
Frontenac Ventures Corporation filed a $100-million lawsuit yesterday against the local Algonquin nations and their leaders and are seeking an injunction to remove the protesters blockade from the entrance of a proposed uranium mining site north of Sharbot Lake.
Since June 29, members of the Ardoch and Shabot Obaadjiwan Algonquin Nations have been camped out at the entrance of Frontenac Ventures' site, preventing the company from entering the land on which they have staked claims. Neal Smitheman, the company's lawyer, said the Algonquins' occupation of the land is illegal and "could result in serious economic harm for the company."
The proposed exploration and mining area is on territory which the Algonquin nations say is theirs. They have been involved in negotiations with the provincial and federal government since 1991 over a land claim which covers territory throughout the Ottawa River watershed, including the land staked by Frontenac Ventures.
The lawsuit was filed against both Algonquin nations and their leaders - Ardoch spokesperson Robert Lovelace, Ardoch co-chiefs Paula Sherman and Randy Cota, honorary Ardoch chief Harold Perry and Shabot Obaadjiwan chief Doreen Davis - as well as persons unknown, Smitheman said. At this time, none of non-native landowners in the area who have joined in the protests have been served a lawsuit, he added.
The lawsuit - which charges the Algonquins with interference of economic rights, among other things - estimates that the occupation could cause the company $100 million in economic damages.
The allegations are outlined in the lawsuit, which has not yet been heard in court. It was filed in the Superior Court of Ontario, and will be heard in Kingston on July 30.
Smitheman said he expects a "brief adjournment" at that point in order to provide the Algonquins with time to respond.
"It's returnable July 30 and we'll see where it's at at that point," Smitheman added.
Chris Reid, the Algonquins' lawyer, said the lawsuit "wasn't entirely unexpected."
On Monday, he said, Frontenac's law firm tried to serve the lawsuit directly to the Algonquin chiefs, rather than operating through the lawyer. Reid said he received the lawsuit yesterday and responded hours later to request an adjournment. He said he is not available to be in court on July 30 and they want time to prepare a counter-claim against the company.
Reid said they will also be bringing action against the province.
"We're in this mess because the provincial government refused to meet their obligations to consult," prior to granting Frontenac Ventures mining rights in the area, he said.
He said he also asked for a more realistic schedule, hoping to go to court to have all claims heard in September.
Residents wary of uranium prospecting in N.B. village
The public is being left out of discussions and questions remain unanswered, says Elgin resident
By KATE WRIGHT, Yhe Daily Gleaner
25th July 2007
OTTAWA - Residents of a New Brunswick village with potential for a major uranium development say they are unsure a mine will translate into positive returns for the region.
Deposits of copper and possibly uranium are indicated beneath the Village of Elgin, but some landowners are worried that their peaceful way of life will be permanently disturbed by development.
Elgin is located north of Fundy National Park.
Debbie Leaman, an employee at the village's post office, said many residents are upset that prospectors have already begun claiming backyards to be explored in the coming months.
"I think there will be opposition when the trucks start rolling," she said. "People are concerned about their property values."
Leaman said the community has largely been left out of the uranium discussion and many residents have questions that have gone unanswered.
"There's never been a community meeting, there's really been nothing on uranium. I don't even know if I know the name of (the) company," she said.
"Anything I've heard has been negative. It's not, 'Oh wow, we're getting a uranium mine!"
The concern in Elgin follows an announcement by Triple Uranium Resources of Newfoundland that uranium prospecting has begun in Cambridge-Narrows. Some residents fear mining will destroy the Canaan Washademoak watershed.
Thanks to skyrocketing demand for uranium, prospectors have begun searching for it throughout New Brunswick, including several sites in the southern part of the province.
Uranium prices have climbed from US$10 a pound to US$136 a pound by mid-June, spurring the sharp rise in claims.
So far, more than 12,000 claims have been staked in 2007, an estimated two-thirds of which are for uranium.
Minister of Natural Resources Donald Arsenault said Tuesday that the province needs to act on the possibility of new developments to further its self-sufficiency agenda.
He said government is attacking the prospect of the uranium mine "aggressively" as it would help to repatriate New Brunswickers searching for work and good wages.
"We're a province rich in resources and we have a major role to play in creating those opportunities," he said.
"Companies won't just come knocking on doors -- we have to be aggressive."
In June, New Brunswick signed a $4-million deal with CVRD Inco Ltd., giving the Canadian uranium giant exclusive five-year prospecting rights on a 136,000-hectare area between Sussex and Moncton.
Inco is one of several companies searching for the mineral in New Brunswick.
But controversy erupted in June when Moncton residents objected to prospecting in the area, fearing a potential mine could contaminate the watershed.
Minister bullish on uranium mines
Natural resources chief keen to take advantage of promising mineral finds
Daniel Martins, Telegraph-Journal
24th July 2007
With uranium prices through the roof, New Brunswick must seriously consider taking advantage of any deposits prospectors may find, says Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault.
"We can't just let this boat pass by," he said.
"We want to be open for business, we want to attract investment. These are tremendous economic opportunities for the people of New Brunswick that we're trying to create here."
Arseneault said that if uranium prospectors find what they're looking for, he has no doubt about the outcome.
"The objective is to develop a mine," he said.
"In terms of uranium, if there was enough uranium to develop a potential mine site, the province would be definitely willing to proceed in that area."
Uranium prices have skyrocketed from US$10 a pound to $136 a pound by mid-June '07, spurring a sharp rise in the number of claims staked across the province. Usually the province sees only around 3,000 new claims a year, but more than 12,000 have been staked in 2007 so far, an estimated two-thirds of which are for uranium.
Arseneault says any potential uranium mine would mean jobs and economic opportunity for New Brunswickers, as well as contribute to the Liberal government's self-sufficiency agenda.
In June, New Brunswick signed a $4-million deal with CVRD Inco Ltd., giving the Canadian uranium giant exclusive five-year prospecting rights on a 136,000-hectare area between Sussex and Moncton. Inco is one of several companies seeking the mineral in New Brunswick.
But controversy erupted in June when Moncton residents objected to prospecting in their area, fearing that a potential mine could seriously contaminate the watershed.
At the time, Environment Minister Roland Haché refused to ban mining in the area, saying that it was far too soon to tell if there was enough uranium to make a mine feasible.
Uranium mining is under federal jurisdiction, but the Department of Natural Resources still requires uranium mining companies to undergo a provincial environmental assessment process.
That process could take between 90 days and two years, depending on what the assessment entails.
But that is not enough for David Coon, executive director of the New Brunswick Conservation Council.
He called the province's environmental impact assessment process "outdated" and "inadequate" and, given the enthusiasm of the government for economic development, questioned whether serious reform was possible.
"Any improvements in the environmental assessment process would make it less subject to political interference," he said.
Mount Allison University political science professor Geoff Martin, who specializes in public policy, also said that successive provincial governments have traditionally been lenient with mining companies.
But he also warned property owners sitting on large quantities of uranium to watch out.
By law, all minerals beneath private property belong to the Crown and although mining companies are required to reach an equitable settlement with property owners, they can still proceed with prospecting and mining activities in cases where minerals are not directly underneath houses or back yards.
Arseneault says the province will come to a fair settlement with property owners whose land would be included in a future mine, but Martin says those who don't wish to sell may be obliged to.
"When push comes to shove, I think the provincial government will decide in favour of economic development, even if it means sacrifice on the part of property owners or neighbours."
Mining claims to impact rural real estate market
Prospecting Nearly 8,000 claims on private properties staked for uranium exploration
Daniel Martins, Telegraph-Journal
23th July 2007
A run on staking claims in the rural areas of southern New Brunswick could have a definite impact on real estate prices.
"It certainly wouldn't be having a good effect," said Don Ketchum, president of the New Brunswick Real Estate Association.
"I'll put it to you this way: If you were going to buy a property, and were looking for a nice summer place up in a place like Cambridge-Narrows, and you became aware of the possibility of an invasive procedure, like mining, to occur, you'd probably consider your options and look somewhere else."
Under the New Brunswick Mining Act, last amended 1985, all minerals beneath private property are owned by the Crown, and prospectors may stake claims on private property without warning owners first. The act obliges them to notify owners of the staking "as soon as possible."
Keeping mum about the tags when putting the property on the market won't help either. Ketchum says that, when putting a property on the market, owners are required to notify real estate agents of any potential issues with the property, and there is not much that can be done to alleviate those effects.
But Wade Wilson, a spokesman for the provincial Department of Natural Resources, says that if the years-long exploration process leads to a full-scale mining operation, the long-term effects on property values would be positive.
Wilson pointed to Friday's announcement of a new US$1.6-billion potash mine in the Sussex area, saying it would attract more than 600 tradespeople during construction, and 140 full-time jobs. He said there is already new construction going on in the area. "Is mining a contributor to that? I would say that it is," he said.
"I'm not a real estate expert, but I would think if I had property down (there) that I would be kind of smiling today if I felt like selling it at some point, because with increased development, property values are going to go up."
Ketchum reports that the southern New Brunswick real estate market has been bullish in recent years. Year-to-date property sales are in excess of $180 million, up from $120 million over same period last year.
So far this year, 1,295 properties have changed hands, compared to 1,020 in 2006.
The growth over that period coincides with a sharp spike in claim staking in the province, with 12,000 new claims this year alone, compared with only around 3,000 annually in past years. Around 8,000 of those claims are staked for possible uranium finds.
Ketchum wouldn't estimate the effect on real estate prices and sales in the area if the prospecting boom continues, saying that wouldn't be known for at least another 12 months.
"It's pretty safe to say that it's not going to have a positive effect," he said.
"The magnitude of any negative effects it might have would only be speculation"?"¦"?at this point. (But) it's not going to total up in the plus column, that's for sure."
Letter to Telegraph-Journal
Property rights should trump mineral claims
23th July 2007
We recently attended a mineral claims information session which was held by the Village of Cambridge Narrows.
I was amazed to learn that the Province owns the mineral rights of all land in New Brunswick and that anybody who is a licensed prospector can stake Crown as well as private property, which gives them the right to trespass on the property if they wish to observe it, then later to negotiate drilling on it. If the property is a woodlot or undeveloped, the prospector can drill on it without even having permission. If there is an issue of negotiating a price for any damage or drilling, then an arbitrator settles it.
It is difficult to comprehend that the Province has permitted mining companies' rights to overshadow the rights of tax-paying individuals. The area of Cambridge Narrows is predominately a resort region. Many people living there are, in fact, paying double the taxes on their properties because it is their second property.
Drilling for uranium releases argon, which is a radioactive material with contaminating effects on the watershed and the environment. British Columbia and Nova Scotia have outlawed the exploration and mining of uranium.
It is time that the government review the Mining Act and update it to reflect the current conditions of society, where environment is an important issue and private owners' rights to enjoy their property should play a paramount role over mining companies, which strip the land of its minerals and move away.
S. R. BRYNIAK, MD, FRCS(C)
Saint John
Land values affected by mining claims, says expert
By DANIEL MARTINS, Canadaeast News Service
23th July 2007
A run on staking claims in rural areas of New Brunswick could impact real-estate prices.
"It certainly wouldn't be having a good effect,'' said Don Ketchum, president of the New Brunswick Real Estate Association.
"I'll put it to you this way: If you were going to buy a property, and were looking for a nice summer place up in a place like Cambridge-Narrows, and you became aware of the possibility of an invasive procedure, like mining, you'd probably consider your options and look somewhere else.''
Under the New Brunswick Mining Act, last amended 1985, all minerals beneath private property are owned by the Crown, and prospectors may stake claims on private property without warning owners first.
The act obliges them to notify owners of the staking "as soon as possible.''
Keeping mum about the tags when putting the property on the market won't help either.
Owners are required to notify real-estate agents of any potential issues with the property, Ketchum said, and there isn't much that can be done to alleviate those effects.
But Wade Wilson, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, said if the lengthy exploration process leads to a full-scale mining operation, the long-term effects on property values would be positive.
Wilson pointed to Friday's announcement of a new US$1.6-billion potash mine in the Sussex area, saying it would attract more than 600 tradespeople during construction, and 140 full-time jobs.
He said there is already new construction going on in the area.
"Is mining a contributor to that? I would say that it is,'' he said.
"I'm not a real-estate expert, but I would think if I had property down (there) that I would be kind of smiling today if I felt like selling it at some point, because with increased development, property values are going to go up.''
Ketchum reports that the southern New Brunswick real-estate market has been bullish in recent years.
Year-to-date property sales are in excess of $180 million, up from $120 million over the same period last year.
Almost 1,300 properties have changed hands so far this year, compared to 1,020 in 2006.
The growth over that period coincides with a sharp spike in claim-staking in the province, with 12,000 new claims this year alone, compared to only around 3,000 annually in past years.
Around 8,000 of those claims are staked for possible uranium finds.
Ketchum couldn't estimate the effect on real-estate prices and sales in the area if the prospecting boom continues, saying that won't be known for at least another 12 months.
"It's pretty safe to say that it's not going to have a positive effect,'' he said.
"The magnitude of any negative effects it might have would only be speculation at this point. (But) it's not going to total up in the plus column, that's for sure.'
Stat ement on Uranium Mining
Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
23th June 2007
Over the past year, Frontenac Ventures Corporation has appropriated Algonquin traditional lands near Ardoch, Ontario and begun the process of filing claims through the Northern Mining and Development for a geographic area that covers approximately 60 kilometres in Northern Frontenac County. FVC disclosed in a press release on May 30, 2007 that it has at its disposal a $3.5 million dollar budget to complete this project, including the implementation of a diamond drilling program at the site. Undoubtedly, some of the funds from this expected budget will come from Silvio Ventures Inc, who entered into a binding letter agreement with FVC on May 23, 2007. At the end of the proposed merger, a new company will emerge by the name of Amalco who will lead the Frontenac project as a subsidiary of Silvio. The mineral to be mined at this proposed site is uranium.
The plan to develop this site as a uranium mine, however, was done without the authority of Ardoch Algonquin First Nation. Furthermore, we were not consulted at all with respect to this plan as is our right as an Algonquin community who still holds Aboriginal title and rights to much of the land in question. As a corporation interested in our lands, FVC, did not follow an honourable path in their actions toward us, instead they choose to follow a historical path that has led to conflicts and blockades with other Indigenous peoples across Canada. Likewise, Ontario and Canada as the children of our British relatives have failed in their Constitutional duty to protect our lands and resources, a responsibility handed down to them through the Proclamation of the King in 1763.
This duty remains a morally and legally binding duty according to the Supreme Court of Canada who ruled in 2005 in the Haida Nation and Taku River cases that "the Crown has a duty, whenever it seeks to take action that stands to affect Aboriginal interests in a substantial way. What's more, the responsibility of the Crown with respect to its duties to Aboriginal peoples passed down in the Haida and Taku cases, was expanded further in March of 2005 in the Musqueam and Blaney cases. The judgements in these cases reveal that "the duty of government to consult and in appropriate cases to accommodate "is part of a process of fair dealing and reconciliation" with affected Aboriginal peoples where Aboriginal rights or title are in play.
The controlling question in cases such as this one is what is required on the part of the Crown (as well as its agents, and ministries) to maintain the honour of the Crown and to achieve reconciliation between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples as is required under Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982? Aboriginal title and rights are still in existence in the Kiji Sìbì (Ottawa Valley), including what became Northern Frontenac County. These lands were never ceded or surrendered to the Crown. As the Algonquin community holding title and rights within the lands in question, and as an Aboriginal community whose rights are embedded, recognized and guaranteed in the Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982, we understand that both the Province of Ontario and the federal government have Constitutional duties and obligations to protect our lands from the detrimental activities associated with uranium mining. What's more, Frontenac Ventures Corporation should not have been granted claims or staking rights on our traditional lands without prior notification by the Ministry of Mining and Northern Development, and they should not have been allowed to purchase our lands without our consent, as we are the only autonomous authority within those lands.
As indicated in the cases presented above, the courts are prepared to determine whether or not appropriate consultation and accommodation has occurred. Indeed, they are prepared to suspend court actions, licences, and order-in-council authorizing Crown activity. As a First Nation responsible for the health and vitality of those lands, we will not allow our lands to be appropriated in this way without our participation, agreement, and consent for the activities that are proposed for that site. We therefore demand that the Ministry of Mining and Northern Development and the Province of Ontario clear up this issue and facilitate the shutting down of all mining exploration, staking, and drilling by FVC now occurring, or planning to occur on our lands. We also demand that the Ministry of Mining and Northern Development and the Province of Ontario facilitate the removal of all FVC equipment and personal belongings from our lands by June 29 2007.
This decision is based upon the fact that our Aboriginal title and rights have been violated by FVC and the Ministry of Mining and Northern Development, as well as the realization that uranium mining will destroy the ecological balance and sustainability of the Natural World and will have particular impacts on local water tables which will in turn contaminate waterways throughout the Kiji Sìbì. At the end of this process people living within Northern Frontenac County could very well be left with no other option but to purchase water (as is the case in Kitigan Zibi) as all wells will be contaminated from the tailings left behind from the mining process. Tailings can never be disposed of and will pollute the area for many unforeseen generations.
As Algonquin people, we also know that uranium mining will lead directly to our social, spiritual, and cultural demise as our collective identity as people requires a continual relationship with the land in which we interact and carry out our cultural and spiritual activities and ceremonies on a daily basis. If the land is contaminated and altered as a result of the proposed mine, the animals and beings that we depend on for our survival will also disappear, leaving us with no possibility for survival. Vacating the area is not an option for us as this land is our home and has been the home of our people for hundreds of years. As Algonquin people there is no other place that we can go and be ourselves except for this place which is our homeland. We do not have the option that FVC has to pack up and leave once their destruction of our lands is complete.
We are not the only victims who will suffer this fate, many private land owners in the vicinity of our lands have also had their lands staked as potential sites for drilling. The same fate will await them if the project is not stopped. Our concern with those lands goes deeper than just the fate of the present inhabitants; however, because we believe that although our neighbours purchased their lands in good faith, the original title for those lands was not acquired legally by the British or Canada upon Confederation. While we have no plans to recover those lands through legal action, we do hold the government responsible for their loss and intend to seek restitution in the future. Since those lands were acquired illegally, and without the consent of Algonquin people, we reserve our Aboriginal interest in those lands and do not want uranium mining to occur on those lands either. This is particularly the case since the present inhabitants of those lands have no power to stop it unless they hold the mineral rights in their deeds.
As Aboriginal people, our relationships with all of the lands in question are complicated which is why it is not possible for us to make memorandums of understanding or co-agreements with citizens or environmental groups. With respect to our lands, the issue is one of autonomy and sovereignty which requires us to pursue options outside the parameters available to citizens or environmental groups. This fact does not prevent us, however, from meeting or working in unison with citizens or environmental groups to stop the mining from taking place. It just requires an understanding by everyone involved that our responsibilities as Algonquin people require a different approach than can be utilized within such groups. That being said, there is a lot that we can do together as human beings to stop this mining from occurring.
We call on other Aboriginal communities, concerned Canadian citizens, and environmental groups to get involved in this issue. There has never been a safe uranium mine anywhere in the world, in spite of FVC declarations that uranium mining is completely safe and harmless to the environment.
Please get involved! For more information on how you can help, please contact Paula Sherman @ paulasherman@trentu.ca or Robert Lovelace @ BLOVELAC@flemingc.on.ca
Cameco's series of unfortunate events
ANDY HOFFMAN, Toronto Globe & Mail
24th July 2007
Management at Cameco Corp. took on a firestorm of criticism yesterday, as a triple-whammy of adverse events shook confidence in the Saskatchewan uranium giant, not only among investors but also at Canada's nuclear regulator.
Last Friday, Cameco disclosed it was suspending production at a nuclear fuel conversion plant in Port Hope, Ont., for at least two months, after discovering soil contaminated with uranium.
News of the leak sent Cameco shares down 6.5 per cent yesterday, adding to declines suffered last week when the Saskatoon-based company said annual production from its gold subsidiary would be cut by a third and that delays at its Cigar Lake uranium mine would be at least a year longer than previously thought.
"Management is addressing, as it should, each one of these unfortunate events. Timing makes it look like there is a failing, but I can assure you, people are working overtime on these issues," Cameco president and chief executive officer Jerry Grandey said in an interview.
"They are serious about it. They're serious about not only defining them, but making sure that everybody in the world is fully aware of what's happening. And they are just damn serious about making sure it is remediated," Mr. Grandey said.
The head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Canada's nuclear industry regulator, recently said her organization has lost faith in Cameco management, following flooding at the Cigar Lake mine.
"One of the very serious results of this is a lack of confidence that now the CNSC, the Commission and the staff has in Cameco and in the leadership of Cameco," CNSC president Linda Keen said at a public meeting with management on June 21 in Ottawa.
During the meeting, Ms. Keen took issue with Mr. Grandey's suggestion that there were a number of root causes for last October's devastating flood at Cigar Lake, which was expected to account for more than 10 per cent of the world's uranium production.
"Mr. Grandey, with due respect, saying that there wasn't one root cause, and I think there was a root cause. I think there was a root cause of leadership and I think it's leadership that we all accept at the top of organizations for what happens in this," she said.
Yesterday, Mr. Grandey conceded that Cameco has plenty of work ahead to restore relations with the CNSC, which oversees and approves nearly all of Cameco's operations.
"A Cigar Lake event is bound to diminish confidence. ... What management at the most senior level and at all levels of the organization must do, is step-by-step and day-by-day, do things in a way that help restore that confidence," Mr. Grandey said.
Some investors are also starting to raise issues with Cameco and its constant stream of bad news.
"It's unbelievable, in general, how much the major uranium mining companies of the world like Cameco are disappointing. It's truly unbelievable. It's like the industry is cursed," said Kevin Bambrough, market strategist at Sprott Asset Management Inc.
Although it has invested heavily in the uranium sector as prices for the metal used to fuel nuclear reactors have soared, Sprott no longer owns Cameco shares, Mr. Bambrough said.
Testing at the Port Hope facility, which converts mined uranium into uranium hexafluoride, revealed uranium and other associated chemicals in the ground beneath the plant. Cameco said public health and worker safety are not affected, but the facility will be closed for at least two months, while further testing is conducted.
Barclay Howden, a CNSC official in Ottawa, said the regulator has sent two teams to the Port Hope site and is getting daily updates from the company.
"Our patience is being severely tested, as is, we expect, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's," said TD Newcrest analyst Greg Barnes in a note to clients.
Mr. Barnes is continuing to rate Cameco shares a buy, but reduced his target price from $65.00 to $62.00. Lower production at the Kumtor Gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, operated by Cameco's 53-per-cent owned subsidiary Centerra Gold Inc. is beyond Cameco management's influence he said, but "the delay at Cigar Lake and the problems at Port Hope are within management's scope. We believe that Cameco's share price will be overhung by these events for some time until it becomes apparent that better controls are in place," Mr. Barnes said.
RBC Dominion Securities analyst Fraser Phillips said Cameco's conversion business accounts for roughly 5.5 per cent of its profit. "While the announcement is clearly negative for Cameco, we have not revised our estimates at this time," he said in a report. Cameco Corp.
Cameco's curse?
April, 2003
Flood at McArthur River mine halts production for three months, costing the company $23-million.
April, 2006
Flood at Cigar Lake project boosts costs more than $100-million and delays the project by an estimated six months.
October, 2006
More flooding hits Cigar Lake, delaying production by at least another year.
May, 2007
An independent report into the Cigar Lake accident places blame for the flood squarely at management's feet.
July 19, 2007
Cameco's gold subsidiary Centerra Gold Inc. says 2007 production will be slashed by one-third because of continuing problems at its Kumtor mine in Kyrgyzstan.
July 20, 2007
Cameco discovers uranium and other chemicals in the soil at its conversion plant in Port Hope, Ont.'